Patna

The most controvertial movie of the recent times produced by the controvertial film maker and Baji Rao Mastani fame producer, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has finally been released all over the country after so much of rampaging, public outrage, annoyance and burning of hundreds of vehicles nationally, including fifty in Gujarat and myriad number of motor cycles, malls and what not. While the chief ministers of Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat were not at all interested to get the film screened in ther respective states fearing extremely deteriorating law and order situation and increasing vadalism but the Supreme court’s direct intervention asking the states to maintain law and order at all costs and allow the release of the films with total security to the audiences, theatresand the staff, the states have no option but to submit to the courts pressure.

But what was more surprising, shocking and anguishing is the fact that despite the Apex courts orders the four states of the country witnessed the maximum amount of vandalism and open violation of law by the Karni Sena volunteers and the over provoked volunteers. In Guru gram yesterday a school bus has been stoned badly leading to the students being terrorised. Today several schools have been closed in Gurugram.

In Noida the prestigios DPS school has been closed in view of the launching of the controvertial film Padmavat. In Rajasthan, MP, Bhopal, Goa and Patna the film has not been released despite the supreme court’s orders as the theatre owners are not ready to risk their lives as well as the theatre. Recent reports pouring in, in the morning showed vandalism in Ghaziabad still continuing.

In Rajasthan, the state from where the Karni Sena chief belings namely Mr. Kalvi, the main organisation behind the entire episode has in all 270 film theatres and auditoriums but the movie, Padmavat despite its, today’s all India premier, not a single cinema has screened the movie apprehending large scale vandalism.This sounds horrible and also indicates that the government of Rajasthan is in no mood to confront the local Rajputs who form the large and massive part of its vote bank.

However, in the prime minister’s contituency Varanasi the movie has been released. The police force is actively involved in maitaining law and order outside all the theatres nationally. The maximum advantage that Sanjay Leela Bhansali got is, his film got free publicity of billion of rupees out of the entire controversy through newspapers and channels and the audience in crores seems to be quite anxious and crazy to see the movie.

Meanwhile, the producer of the staggering 160 crore controvertial film Sanjay Leela Bhansali would have been quite a relaxed man today as his most talked about historical film has finally been released nationally. I am sure that in future Bhansali will never take the risk of making historical films after facing so much of hiccups, challanges and controversy over Padmavat. The way various states of the country witnessed open violation of law and order and incessant vandalism I don’t think that in the near future any producer will ever risk their time and money over historical films apprehending violence, vandalism and even threat to life.

What makes the situation even more worrisome is the fact that the political rulers sitting at the helm in the states instead of taking the responsibilities to curb violence and vandalism goes to honorable courts to curb freedom of expression and views by requesting the courts to ban the film rather than energising themselves and their govt machinery to curb the open vandalism. This is democracy and in an open loktantra you are not supposed to issue threats, burn vehicles, damage malls and create ruckus in the public creating loss to life and public property.

After all law also has its own course. If one is not happy with a film he is welcome not to watch it but how can he discourage others to shun the picture by way of violence and vandalism. This is not done in a democracy and the country with the rule of laws. Latest news say indicate that several leaders of Karni Sena have gone underground fearing arrests. However, the incidents of vandalism, tyre burning, protests on motorcycle processions and alleged killing threats are still on in various parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat by the Karni Sena volunteers and newly joined Mahakaal Sena.

Meanwhile, the leaders of both Congress and BJP Digvijay Singh and VK Singh has issued similar statements condemning the incidents of violence but emphasised strongly that no producer of the film could be allowed to play with or twist the historical facts of any event. The state minister of external affairs VK Singh said that if differences do exist between the protestors and the film makers they should be amicably settled but no body is allowed to twist the fact.
SUNIL NEGI

If crowd is really any definite indication of exhibiting any political leader’s political say or any political conglomerates political future than Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief tainted Lalu Prasad Yadav’s rally in Gandhi Maidan, Patna is surely a warning to the BJP led NDA and its undisputed leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

What is surprising about this rally is that despite Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s rebuff to RJD chief and his family for their involvement in money laundering and multi crore Railway scam and shaking hands with his one time arch political rival Narendra Modi and BJP thinking that Lalu Yadav will meet the political dead end is in for a huge shock today when lakhs of people and Lalu supporters literally filled the historic Gandhi Maidan beyond the expectations of one and all. Never before perhaps in the history of India has any tainted leader and family ever been successful in enticing such an uncontrolled crowd of millions of people and party supporters in a state where its CM has done his best to see that the rally fails by all means and people do not make their presence felt at the venue.

Political analysts say that this historic rally at Gandhi Maidan convened by RJD and Laloo Prasad Yadav has not only been successful in sending a wake up call to BJP led NDA and its key leaders like PM Modi and Amit Shah but has also while opening doors for the forthcoming non BJP national grand alliance of opposition parties fully ensured that days of Bihar CM and his so called alliance government of the state are also numbered. The call of JD(S) leader Sharad Yadav a bete noire of Nitish Kumar these days for a new grand anti BJP led NDA alliance amid thunderous applause of lakhs of anti Nitish and BJP crowd has unambiguously made it clear that a new chapter of a strong political national alternative is in the offing shortly. Lalu Yadav along with the 18 opposition parties including TMC vowed to unitedly fight the communal, divisive and vindictive BJP and give it a huge rebuff nationally in the 2019 general elections. Though the rally was highly successful but the important Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and BSP supremo Mayawati were conspicuous by their absence.

My senior journalist friend Anupam Trivedi HAS RIGHTY SAID – Bihar is atypical, unpredictable and 2 some extent change maker! What do you say, friends ?